British woman, 20, left for dead in hit and run motorbike crash faces being thrown out of Thai hospital despite horrifying injuries after being hit with £40,000 medical bill

[2008bangkok]

Unfortunately Thai hospitals  have no compassion, its money on no treatment.

I remember my next door neighbor dying on the toilet, i got him off an laid him on the floor, when the ambulance arrived and they couldn't find his passport they just left him lying there until the morgue van came in the morning.

Edited February 17, 2023 by 2008bangkok

[james2m]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is a major flaw in the way things are done in this dump.

Why are you here if it’s a dump? ????

[SuperSilverHaze]

2 hours ago, SABloke said:

How do you know she didn't? 

Well, the other person fled... Left her for dead.

[roo860]

2 minutes ago, james2m said:

Why are you here if it’s a dump? ????

Probably isn't in Thailand, just someone who slags Thailand off from afar.????

[PeeJayEm]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Surely it's time for western governments to put a travel warning out to prevent young western tourists doing something they shouldn't?

Isn't this enough for you, or anyone? ........ (UK govt Thailand web page)

<<< Road travel

There are a high number of road traffic accidents in Thailand especially involving motorcycles. The World Health Organisation (WHO) rates Thailand as the world’s deadliest countries for fatalities on motorcycles.

To drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Thailand, under Thai law you must have the correct licence and appropriate insurance for the category of vehicle you’re using. You will need to apply for a Thai driving licence or, if you already hold a UK licence, an International Driving Permit. If you drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Thailand without a valid licence, this may invalidate your travel insurance. >>>

[nigelforbes]

It would be good to know what is included in the total, perhaps the damage to the bike is in there also. 

 

Another poster recently reported that he was taken into a large private hospital with acute pneumonia and stayed for three days before being transferred to a government hospital, his outstanding bill for the three days is 340k Baht. That cost makes no sense to me since I had a coronary stent inserted at Bangkok's best known private hospital for half that cost.

[itsari]

49 minutes ago, Ashlin Schopper said:

One question: did she have a legal, valid, non-expired Thai driver's license or legal, valid, and non-expired international driving permit ? Insurance will ALWAYS sell you plans just like sketchy (all?) motorbike rental places will rent you a motorbike regardless whether you have a Thai driver's license or international license. 

 

The "let's blame the insurance company" or "let's blame the hospital" mentality is wrong. Blame the idiot farang who come to Thailand with no proper license or international permit and blame the idiot motorbike rental shops who put money and greed over the safety of tourists.

 

End of rant.

Motorcycle hire in my area can be obtained with no license at all . A copy of your passport and on your on your way .

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is a major flaw in the way things are done in this dump.

Why do you stay in a dump? 

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, VinnieK said:

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Which hospital? Sounds like BH. One of the costliest in Thailand. 

 

 

Many insurance companies are no better than the New Jersey mafia. Total crooks. 

 

 

Expand  

Same goes for hospitals.

So, who's got a soft spot for young foreigners, probably without any form of bike license, that ride a bike in Thailand but don't bother to read the small print on their insurance (if the even have any)?

[NoshowJones]

What would be the situation if a Thai person got the same treatment in a UK hospital? It would be interesting to know. I have no idea as I have lived in Thailand now for years.

[Neeranam]

Tourists should never ride m/bikes here, it's a foolish thing to do. 

I even see pensioners in Hua Hin on m/bikes, just don't do it, do you have a death wish or what? 

[pepi2005]

Wasn't it announced years ago that travelers coming to Thailand are automatically insured with a fee that's added to their plane tickets or something like that? What happened to that?

 

Nope, the 300b are to 'maintain tourist sites' and to 'protect the environment' we were told, so probably that helps to stop the rampant deforestation (especially since the tax law was changed and land owners have started to replace century-old rainforests by ugly banana plantations now all over the country )

 

 

[tgw]

what would be really interesting is the press covering a variety of such incidents from A to Z in all details until the settlement, under different circumstances.

[jacko45k]

21 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

It doesn’t say they are refusing to pay.  

Let us hope they are refusing to pay temporarily!

[mberbae]

Would any reasonable Insurance Company cover foreigners riding motorcycles in SE Asia ,

Let alone ones that do not ride them at home ?

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is a major flaw in the way things are done in this dump.

UK is a dump, and terrible weather. 

[Xonax]

2 hours ago, Funkymover said:

And I thought the government pay , after all didn't they just say, they pay out over 400 million baht on tourists  medical bills and that's the reason for the new, 300 baht landing tax 

The 400 million Baht is probably only for life saving treatments. Otherwise the amount would be much higher.

[redwood1]

If the 300 baht fee will not cover situations like this what will it cover...

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

What would be the situation if a Thai person got the same treatment in a UK hospital? It would be interesting to know. I have no idea as I have lived in Thailand now for years.

Probably free. 

Thai tourists wouldn't dream of doing something as stupid . 

 

[norfolkandchance]

He did'nt offer her any advice then.

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, redwood1 said:

If the 300 baht fee will not cover situations like this what will it cover...

Doesn't start until June 

[jerrymahoney]

8 minutes ago, PeeJayEm said:

Isn't this enough for you, or anyone? ........ (UK govt Thailand web page)

<<< Road travel

To add to the above from same source:

 

Motorcycles or scooters for hire in beach resorts are often unregistered and can’t be used legally on a public road. Before you hire a vehicle, make sure you’re covered by your travel insurance and check the small print of the lease agreement.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/safety-and-security

[Neeranam]

Stupidity runs in the family 

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe.

But maybe riding a bike was not covered in that insurance and maybe there are other limits.

Travel (health) insurances are cheap compared to real international health insurances - for a reason.

 

Obviously it's sad for her to be in such a situation, especially because she didn't cause the accident. But let's compare this with a Thai person who is hit like that by another Thai person on the road. Who pays? Often Thai people struggle to pay something, but expensive treatment is out of the question for many.

The Thais get treated in hospitals that aren't ripping them off.

[BritManToo]

15 minutes ago, mberbae said:

Would any reasonable Insurance Company cover foreigners riding motorcycles in SE Asia ,

Let alone ones that do not ride them at home ?

Trouble being the insurance companies pretend you are insured, until it comes time to pay out.

If they all had a warning 'We will not pay for m/c accidents' in big letters on the front of all brochures/adverts/policies it would be a lot more honest, and less of the fraudulent product it currently is.

Edited February 17, 2023 by BritManToo

[Xonax]

33 minutes ago, bradiston said:

The family say now they are refusing. But with no further details, it's all meaningless.

In another article in a UK paper it was written, that the insurance had an exclusion written in fine print.

[proton]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's interesting that many people here think a hospital bill for 40k GBP is outrageous in Thailand, it's not!

Maybe many can't imagine this kind of invoice. But talk to people who are used to these kind of cases and they won't be surprised.

I worked with a company who managed these kind of cases and I saw the numbers. Ouch! 

You would expect such a bill for heart or cancer treatment, not for a few broken bones fixed and pain killers, not forgetting the antibiotics of course!

[Xonax]

30 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

I am not sure where they arrive at these fees? I had a operation in the most expensive hospital in Bangkok, stayed 6 days in a luxurious private room, all medicines, doctor visits and it did not come to one eighth of that bill

A 7 hour surgery will easily cost more than 1 million Baht.

[Xonax]

28 minutes ago, 2008bangkok said:

Unfortunately Thai hospitals  have no compassion, its money on no treatment.

I remember my next door neighbor dying on the toilet, i got him off an laid him on the floor, when the ambulance arrived and they couldn't find his passport they just left him lying there until the morgue van came in the morning.

In Thailand ambulances does not handle dead bodies!!

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's interesting that many people here think a hospital bill for 40k GBP is outrageous in Thailand, it's not!

Maybe many can't imagine this kind of invoice. But talk to people who are used to these kind of cases and they won't be surprised.

I worked with a company who managed these kind of cases and I saw the numbers. Ouch! 

I doubt you worked in a Thai government hospital.

Cost for a broken hip for foreign patient in Thai government hospital in Chiang Mai (San Sai hospital) 2 years back was 20,000bht, paid for by the government minimum insurance. My woman did all the running around and paperwork for the old guy, insurance paid hospital direct after she filed the police report..

Edited February 17, 2023 by BritManToo